Knock-down bleacher



y 30, 1951 l J. E. BURKE 2,985,924

KNOCK-DOWN BLEACHER Filed Aug. 16, 1954 INVENTOR.

Jay E. flue/ 5 A 'r roe/ve- Y5 United States Patent Ere Patented May 30,1961- KNOCK-DOWN BLEACHER John E. Burke, Fond du Lac Township, Fond duLac County, Wis., assigulor to The J. E. Burke Company, Fond du Lac,Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 16, 1954, Ser. No. 449,887

11 Claims. (c1. 20-1126) This invention relates to a knock-downbleacher. The bleacher comprises stringer frame units extending fromfront to rear and each comprising a series of posts of progressivelyincreasing height upon which the seats are mounted and a series of footrest supports connecting the posts at progressively increasing levels.The stringer units are connected with each other at rear andintermediate points by cross bracing. The several posts and foot restsupports are all provided with adapters and carriers adapted to fit intoinverted channels which serve as seat and foot rests, the adapters andcarriers at the ends of each such channel projecting to receiveconnection with aligned inverted channels whereby successive bleacherunits may be continuously added as desired.

The invention is particularly concerned with the form of the invertedchannels used to provide seats and foot rests, each being interiorlyreinforced and each having open spaces to receive adapters or carriersat its ends and at intermediate points.

The adapters and foot board carriers constitute further-importantfeatures of the invention. Adapters at the tops of the posts comprisespaced mounting plates each receiving a flange of the respective postand bolted thereto, each adapter being box like in form with slots atits ends for the bolted connection of one or more seat channels. Thecarriers used for the foot boards comprise plates mounted on raisedcentral portions of the generally horizontal supports connected at theirends to the vertical posts which carry the seats.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a bleacher unit embodying theinvention, portions of one seat channel and one foot board channel beingbroken away to expose an adapter and foot board carrier.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of portions of thevertical posts and associated seat and foot board members.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed view taken in section on line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view taken in section on line -4-4 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing an inverted seatmember.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing an inverted foot boardmember.

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective showing the seat adapter, portions beingbroken away.

A unit bleacher embodying the invention comprises two or more stringerunits generically designated by reference character 10, three such unitsbeing used in the bleacher section shown in Fig. 1. Each of these unitscomprises a base 11 which may comprise a piece of angle iron, from whicharise posts 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of graduated height. The posts mayalso comprise angle irons. The posts 16 at the rear ends of respectiveunits are cross connected by diagonal bracing 17, 18. Diagonal bracing19, 20 is desirably used to provide further connection between the posts14 inter-'-' mediate the front and back of each stringer unit.

In each bleacher unit, adjacent posts are cross c'on'f nected atprogressively increasing height by foot rest supports 25. The first ofthese is located at a point not far distant from the bottom ends of thefront posts 12 and 13. The next connects posts 13 and 14 at a higherlevel. Others connect the remaining posts, each being at apre-determined distance below the top of the rearmost of the two postswhich it connects.

As is best shown in Fig. 2, each of the foot rest supports 25 is weldedat its ends to one of the posts. From its welded connection, each footrest support end has an upward inclination as shown at 26. The entirecentral portion 27 is substantially horizontal and is offset upwardlyfrom the ends 26 by the vertically extending portions 28, 29. Thespacing between the upright portions 28 and 29 is just sufiicient toenable these to be received within the flanges of the channeled footrest hereinafter to be described.

Welded, or otherwise fastened, to the horizontal portion 27 of support25 is a foot board carrier 30 which is a plate that projects laterallyat both sides of the portion 27 of support 25 and is apertured near itsmargins to receive the bolts 31, 32 used to connect the foot restchannel or channels of one or more bleacher sections.

Each of the posts of the respective stringer units is provided at itstop with a box-like adapter 35 separately illustrated in Fig. 7, andshown in use in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Each of the adapters 35 is in thenature of a shal- 10w inverted tray having a top surface 36 upon which aseat or seats may be mounted, and having end walls 37, 38 provided withslots 39 to receive connecting bolts. To the under surface of the topwall 36 are welded a pair of spaced legs 40, 41 which receive betweenthem one of the flanges of the supporting post. Aligned holes in thelegs 40 and 41 register with holes in the post to receive a securingbolt 42. The top of the post carries the load, being engaged with theunder surface of the top wall 36 of the adapter. The bolt 4-2 is,therefore, subjected to no great strain. It secures the adapter to thepost and prevents it from tilting or other displacement on the post.

The side walls 43, 44 of the box-like adapter 35 are confined withinsurfaces provided by the under side of the seat as will hereinafter bedescribed.

The seat and foot rest elements shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are actuallyinterchangeable, requiring only different bolt hole locations to enableeither to function for all purposes. In practice, however, it is desiredthat the device shown in Fig. 5 be used as a seat and the device shownin Fig. 6 as a foot rest.

The seat, generically designated by reference character 50, comprises ashallow channel having a flat top 51 and downwardly turned sides 52, 53with inwardly turned lower marginal flanges 54, 55. Flanges 54 and 55are discontinuous, being omitted beneath the center of the seat andadjacent the respective ends. At the ends of each seat, the flanges 54terminate at a distance from the end which is approximately equal to onehalf the width of the adapter 35. At this point, a transverse web 56spans the channel in a position to engage the side wall 44 of theadapter, as shown in Fig. 3. The remaining half of the adapter 35carried by the posts of the end stringer unit is exposed to receive theend of the seat 50' of the next bleacher section, it being understoodthat the sections can be extended indefinitely by supplying additionalstringer units, additional cross bracing and additional seats and footrests.

At the center of each seat member 50 where there is a gap between theflanges 54, 55, as shown in Fig. 5, further cross connection is providedby the longitudinally spaced transverse strips 58, 59. These are sospaced as to receive with a close fit the side members 43, 44 of theadapters 35. Thus, the ends of the adapters are, in all cases, confinedbetween the sides 52, 53 of the seat channels while the sides of theadapters are engaged by the end strips 56 or the intermediate strips 58,59, as the case may be.

Adapters used on the stringer unit at the center of a given bleachersection are disposed at the center of a given seat member 50 and are,therefore, connected to that seat member only. The bolts 60 which passthrough the holes 61 in the seat member into the slots 39 of the adapterwill, therefore, be approximately centered in such slots. At each of theend stringer units, the seat members will extend only to the center ofthe adapter, as shown in Fig. 3, and the bolts 60, used in the holes 62in the side members 52, 53 of the seat, will be disposed near the endsof the slots.

In the case of the foot rests 65, in which the securing bolts 31, 32 maypass through the top wall 66 of the channel, a simple form of carrier isused comprising, as above described, a flat plate 30 provided near itsside margins with four apertures 67, 68 (Fig. 1). The carriers mountedon the end stringer units of a given bleacher section will be lappedonly to their center lines by a given foot rest 65, exposing the otherhalf of the carrier to receive connection with, and to provide supportfor, the foot rest 65 of an adjacent bleacher section, as shown in Fig.4. The carrier mounted on a support 25 of the center stringer unit willbe engaged centrally beneath one of the foot rests 65 which may beprovided with diagonally offset holes 69, 7t registering respectivelywith one of the holes 67 and one of the holes 68 of the carrier.

Both the seat and the foot rest are desirably provided with longitudinalreinforcement. Here again, the types of reinforcement shown areinterchangeable but are desirably used as illustrated. In the case ofthe seat 50, the longitudinal reinforcement comprises longitudinallyextending straps 71, 72 welded on edge beneath the top wall 51 andconnected at their ends with the transverse members 56. 58. In the caseof the foot rest, the longitudinal reinforcement may comprise asecondary channel 75, the web portion of which contacts the undersurface of the top wall 66 of the foot rest, while the flanges 76 and 77extend longitudinally beneath the top wall of the foot rest from onecarrier to the next. Separate secondary channels 75 are used beneathrespective end portions of the foot rest, being spaced at the sides ofthe central carrier.

The resulting bleacher may be erected and dis-assembled with unusualfacility and yet provides an exceptionally firm structure in which theseveral parts are all interlocked against relative displacement, thusincreasing the rigidity.

I claim:

1. In a bleacher, a channel for the support of persons using thebleacher, said channel comprising a top, depending side wallssubstantially continuous for the length of the channel, and inwardlyturned flanges continuous for portions of said side walls anddiscontinuous at opposite sides of the center of said channel anddiscontinuous near the ends of said member.

2. The channel defined in claim 1 further provided with re-inforcingstrips extending longitudinally along the lower surface of said top andsubstantially co-extensive in length with said inwardly turned flanges.

3. The device of claim 2 in further combination with webs extendingtransversely of said channel substantially at the ends of said flangesand strips, two of said transverse web being spaced longitudinally ofsaid channel adjacent the center thereof to provide, with the sides K 4of said channel, a downwardly opening pocket of materially smaller areathan the member.

4. In a bleacher, the combination with a series of stringer units eachincluding supporting means and means detachably connecting said units,of adapters on the tops of the respective supporting means and apersonnel-supporting inverted channel spanning the several units andresting on the several adapters, said channel having at least oneadapter intermediate its ends and lapping approximately half of theWidth of adapters carried by supporting means at the ends of the series,the said channel having re-inforcement extending substantiallycontinuously along its under side between said adapters and beingconnected centrally to the intermediate adapter and being connected toopposite sides of the adapters at its respective ends.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the supporting means comprises uprightposts with which the respective units are provided, thepersonnel-supporting channel constituting a seat.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the supporting means comprises uprightposts with which the respective units are provided, thepersonnel-supporting channel constituting a seat, each adaptercomprising a shallow inverted tray having spaced legs embracing andconnected with the upper end of the post and having horizontally slottedend walls, said channel having depending sides provided with holes andwith bolts extending to the holes and the slots and connecting thechannel with the adapter.

7. The device of claim 4 in which the several units comprise uprightposts, the supporting means constituting transverse members connected attheir ends with adjacent posts and having raised centers on which theadapters are mounted, the personnel-supporting channel constituting afoot rest having side wall portions embracing the respective adaptersand the raised central portions of the supporting means.

8. A knock-down bleacher comprising the combination with spaced stringerunits comprising vertical posts of progressively increasing height fromfront to rear and supports extending between adjacent posts atsuccessively increasing elevations, of means providing cross connectionbetween said units, adapters on respective posts, carriers on therespective supports, and seat and footrest channels each mounted on aplurality of said units and connected at their ends and at intermediatepoints with respective adapters and carriers, each of said supportshaving a raised central portion and each footrest channel comprisingdepending flanges engaged with the raised central portions of theseveral supports across which it extends.

9. A knock-down bleacher comprising the combination with spaced stringerunits comprising vertical posts of progressively increasing height fromfront to rear and supports extending between adjacent posts atsuccessively increasing elevations, of means providing cross connectionbetween said units, adapters on respective posts, carriers on therespective supports, and seat and footrest channels each mounted on aplurality of said units and connected at their ends and at intermediatepoints with respective adapters and carriers, the adapter on each postcomprising an inverted tray having a central depending leg connectedwith the post, each seat channel having depending flanges embracing theends of the trays on the posts of the several units with which the seatchannel is connected.

10. A knock-down bleacher comprising the combination with spacedstringer units comprising vertical posts of progressively increasingheight from front to rear and supports extending between adjacent postsat successively increasing elevations, of means providing crossconnection between said units, channel mounting means comprisingadapters on respective posts and carriers on the respective supports,and seat and footrest channels each fixed at their ends and atintermediate points on the mounting means of a plurality of said units,each such channel having depending side walls respectively embracing themounting means and also having longitudinally extending internalreinforcement intermediate said walls and substantially continuousbetween said units and substantially abutting at its ends the respectiveadapters and carriers on which the channel is mounted, the internalreinforcement terminating short of the end of the channel having a gapintermediate the ends of the channel to accommodate the respectiveadapters and carriers within the channel.

11. In a bleacher the combination with a series of stringer units eachincluding upright posts and supports connecting said posts and havingraised intermediate portions, carriers on said portions, and a footrestcomprising a channel having its ends lapping approximately half thewidth of carriers of the stringer units at the ends of the series andhaving flanges embracing the respective carriers and the raisedinter-mediate portions of said supports, said channel further havingreinforcement extending substantially continuously along its under sidebetween carriers, said series of stringer units including anintermediate unit having a carrier engaged with an intermediate portionof said channel, the channel reinforcement being interrupted to clearthe carrier of the intermediate unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS332,715 Hoyt Dec. 22, 1885 6 1 Kennedy Jan. 21, 1902 Parker Sept. 24,1907 Hanson Mar. 20, 1917 Duke Apr. 12, 1927 Vance June 24, 1930Lillibridge Dec. 2, 1930 Briney Dec. 15, 1931 Austin June 26, 1934Willerig July 23, 1935 Almdale Apr. 20, 1937 Vance et a1. May 6, 1941Ludwick Nov. 9, 1943 Nyberg June 6, 1950 Crichton June 19, 1951 SpanglerMar. 18, 1952 Starcevich Jan. 5, 1954 Pittman June 21, 1955 Tate Dec.25, 1956 Maruhn July 15, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France 1928 Great BritainFeb. 5, 1934 Italy Aug. 18, 1947 UNITED STATESIPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATECORRECTION Patent No.,, 2,985,924 May 30, 1961 John E Burke It is herebycertified that err-of appears in the abeve numbered patent requiringcorrection and that the said Letters Patent. should read as correctedbelow;

Column 3, line 65, and column 4, line 2" for "member", each occurrenceread channel Signed and sealed this 17th day of October 1961.

( SEA L) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC ERNEST W. SWIDERAttesting Officer I

